I weighed 255 pounds when my wife got pregnant with our daughter in 2008. After finding out that we were going to have a baby, I almost immediately began an “eat a little less, exercise a little more” regime that included regular trips to the gym, push-ups and sit-ups at home and calorie counting via an iPhone app until I was able to count calories with the expertise of a nutritionist.

Since that day in 2008, I have lost more than 60 pounds.

I was an idiot to wait as long as I did to get fit. From the ages of 30-35, I gained the weight through a series of poor dietary decisions which included an affection for candy bars and a switch from Diet Coke to apple juice. Once I finally committed myself to living a healthier lifestyle, I discovered that it wasn’t all that difficult. “Eat a little less, exercise a little more” works, and if you are patient, it is not hard.

Most important, I had a reason to lose the weight.

I didn’t try to lose weight to improve my appearance. I didn’t do it to feel better or increase my athletic performance.

I did it to save my life. To save my life for the sake of my children.